1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communications systems, methods and devices. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for performing data backup on a mobile communication device and indicating the status of the data backup using a status indicator.
2. Related Technology
The popularity of the Internet has given rise to a wide variety of information services and devices as consumers have become accustomed to accessing timely, personalized news and information. As a result, demand for these types of content and services as well as the communication devices through which the content and services are accessed continues to grow. In addition to the growth of the content and services that can be accessed using communication devices, cellular telephones and other communication devices are becoming increasingly sophisticated and offer a wide variety of different services. Voice dialing, picture messaging, voice memo, speakerphone, and text-to-speech capabilities are examples of some of the services that are found on current communication devices.
However, along with the demand for an increased number of features for mobile communication devices, product manufacturers have had difficulty informing consumers about the availability of these features and also educating consumers on the benefits of using the features. Usually, features are accessible via a “menu” interface. However, even if the user views a menu option for a certain feature, the user does not necessarily know what function the feature performs and how the feature can most efficiently be used. Often, features can be accessible only after accessing two or three layers of menu options, and most consumers do not take the time to peruse all of the menu options of their mobile communication devices. Activation of a feature may require additional steps such as contacting a manufacturer, purchasing additional hardware, downloading additional software, and the like, that make using a particular feature difficult.
For example, because of the increasing number of ways in which mobile communication devices can be used, the amount of information contained on mobile communication devices can be quite large. Often, some users store all of their organizational information, such as contacts, calendar, task list, personal notes, etc., on their mobile communication devices so that this information can be conveniently accessed anywhere. Unfortunately, many of these users do not perform data backup or may not realize that their mobile communication devices have the ability to perform this function. Thus, the data backup functionality of their devices may remain unused, leaving the valuable information susceptible to being lost due to system crashes, theft of the mobile communication device, and the like.
Furthermore, the difficulty of locating and operating data backup features of mobile communication devices often prevents users from backing up or otherwise synchronizing their data. For example, many mobile communication devices require the user to place the communication device in a cradle and then push a “backup” or “sync” button to initiate backup of data between the mobile communication device and another storage device (such as a user's computer or laptop). Alternatively, the data backup service may be located underneath various layers of menu options, requiring the user to go through two or more steps to initiate data backup. In some cases, users must contact a vendor or manufacturer to subscribe to a data backup service and then download additional software. Even after the software is installed, the user is not notified of the status of a backup. Thus, ascertaining the status of data backup may require multiple steps, often proving more of an inconvenience to a user, and compelling the user to choose to leave data unprotected.